BEYOND BAROQUE FESTIVAL to Launch 2026-27 Season at Early Music Seattle

Early Music Seattle has announced its 2026-27 Beyond Baroque Season, a landmark season of showcases and festivals highlighting connection, migration, and cultural dialogue. The season also marks the beginning of celebrations of EMS's milestone 50th Anniversary — presented with bold imagination and a global perspective.

FALL FESTIVAL: CROSSROADS OF TIME | OCTOBER 8–11, 2026

The season opens with the Crossroads of Time, tracing the sounds of trade and conquest across continents and centuries. Featured performances include Eurasia Consort (October 10) and Rumbarroco (October 11).

SHOWCASE: VOX LUMINIS: MONTEVERDI'S VESPERS OF 1610 | NOVEMBER 20, 2026

Internationally acclaimed ensemble Vox Luminis performs Monteverdi's Vespro della Beata Vergine, a monumental work of sacred music that bridges the Renaissance and Baroque periods.

WINTER FESTIVAL: IN HER VOICE | JANUARY 21–24, 2027

In Her Voice centers powerful female artistry and poetic expression, featuring performances from Seffarine (January 23) and GRAMMY Award-winning soprano Amanda Forsythe with her ensemble Opera Prima (January 24).

SPRING FESTIVAL: MEDITERRANEAN CURRENTS | MARCH 11–14, 2027

Mediterranean Currents (March 11–14, 2027) weaves together stories from Lebanon, Italy, and Persia, opening with a Nowruz Celebration featuring the Maaha Ensemble (March 11), followed by JUNO Award-nominated Haitham Haidar (March 13), and the globally acclaimed ensemble, La Fonte Musica (March 14).

50 YEARS OF EARLY MUSIC SEATTLE (APRIL 1977–2027) | APRIL 18 & 20, 2027

The season concludes with two landmark performances. Chanticleer (April 18) brings Love Supreme, exploring humanity's eternal longing for the transcendent. Then Jordi Savall and Le Concert des Nations take the stage at Benaroya Hall's S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium (April 20) for a monumental performance of Beethoven's Symphonies Nos. 3 & 5. Together, these artists have shaped the evolution of early music worldwide, and their presence marks both a culmination of this extraordinary season and the launch of EMS's 50th Anniversary celebrations.

BEYOND THE FEATURED CONCERTS

Each Beyond Baroque Festival weekend extends well beyond the concert hall. Multidisciplinary programming will include open rehearsals, instrument and gallery exhibitions, creative city itineraries, workshops, community music events, public conversations, and showcase opportunities for a wide array of Seattle's own artists.

The season also continues to deepen EMS's partnerships with leading local arts organizations, including the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra, the University of Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Frye Art Museum, Cornish College of the Arts, Northwest Folklife, and others.

Explore the season at earlymusicseattle.org

Festival Passes starting at $100 (Discounted through June 15, 2026).